Regional Authority

With all the attention paid to aircraft carriers and submarines, one proposed defense budget cut might be flying under the radar here in Hampton Roads. We're talking about the Army National Guard. The Defense Department is proposing to cut the Guard's end strength from 350,000 to 335,000. And if deeper spending cuts return in 2016, that number would shrink to 315,000. This has raised a red flag with the nation's governors from both parties because they depend on the Guard for help during hurricanes, tornadoes and other disasters. And, of course, the Guard has played a key role in bolstering U.S. forces in Iraq and Afghanistan. Now the nation's lieutenant governors are...